System and method for determining sequential cache data access in progress

ABSTRACT

A dynamic cache management system and method monitors and controls the contents of cache memory coupled to at least one host and at least one data storage device. A cache indexer maintains a current index of data elements which are stored in cache memory along with a time indication which relates to each data elements use in the cache. A sequential data access indicator, responsive to the cache index, to the time indication associated with each data element and to a user selectable data access threshold, determines that a sequential data access is in progress for a given process and provides an indication of the same. The system and method allocate a micro-cache memory to any process performing a sequential data access. In response to the indication of a sequential data access in progress and to a user selectable maximum number of data elements to be prefetched, a data retrieval requestor requests retrieval of up to the selected maximum number of data elements from a data storage device. A user selectable number of sequential data elements determines when previously used micro-cache memory locations will be overwritten.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/893,509, filed Jun. 4, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,539, issued Jan. 10, 1995, by the same inventors as herein, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, and fully incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to data processing systems and more particularly, to a system and method for determining that a sequential data access is in progress on a data storage system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Data processing systems such as data storage systems which are coupled to a large amount of data storage may spend a great deal of CPU and I/O BUS time reading and writing data to and from the data storage devices. Reading from and writing data to and from disk drives or similar longer term data storage devices tremendously impacts and decreases performance and throughput of the data processing systems.

Accordingly, many data storage systems now include high speed, short term cache memory which can be accessed rapidly by a coupled computer system commonly referred to as a host system without the inherent delays associated with the mechanical motion and time delay inherent in a long term storage device such as a disk drive. Thus, if data requested by a host is stored in cache instead of on the disk drive, system performance can be increased tremendously. Cache memory, however, is a finite resource. It is costly and accordingly, must be properly managed to yield its intended benefit.

Prior art systems or methods aimed at managing cache memory include a system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,378 wherein the system prefetches a selected number of records in anticipation that the data will soon be requested. Several problems, however, exist with such a system. For example, the system has no knowledge of what is already stored in cache and thus, the system must make real time decisions as to whether or not a sequential data access is being performed.

Further, the system prefetches a selected number of data elements without regard for what is currently in cache. Most importantly, such a system is not efficient when used with a multi-tasking/multi-processor system wherein a storage device controller is handling requests in a multiplexed fashion from many hosts. In such a case, multiplexed sequential data access would appear as a non-sequential or random data requests to the cache manager and the desired data would not be present in the cache due to the non-sequential appearance of the task.

An additional prior art system for controlling or managing cache memory is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,846 wherein a cache memory directory is split up into as many segments as there are processors or hosts which are accessing the memory. Given the associated high cost of cache memory, such a system results in expensive, duplicative cache memories. In addition, such a system is also incapable of handling multi-tasking systems given that the system requires a dedicated cache directory associated with each accessing host or processor.

Further, both referenced prior art systems as well as other similar prior art systems are not capable of allowing the user to establish selectable thresholds or criteria to determine the threshold for determining that a sequential task is indeed in progress, the number of data records to prefetch once a sequential task has been identified, and the amount of cache memory to be allocated to a given task.

An additional difficulty which exists in those systems which attempt to anticipate data requests by identifying sequential data access "jobs" by looking only for a predetermined number of sequential tracks in cache memory using the virtual address of the track. Even a pure random data access will cause the data storage system to access data with adjacent addresses in a random manner over a long period of time, thus making the cache management system falsely believe that a sequential data access is in progress when in fact there is not. This false indication that a sequential data access is in progress will cause the cache management system to prefetch additional unnecessary data into the cache which will not be utilized but merely take up valuable and finite cache memory space.

Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for quickly and accurately determining whether or not a sequential data access is in progress by utilizing, among other criteria, the relative time difference between access to physically adjacent data elements stored on the data storage system. Such system and method should be a significant burden to the data storage system so as to impact performance but instead, should be nearly transparent to the overall data processing system operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A cache management system and method is disclosed which allow a single cache memory to be utilized in a multi-tasking or multi-processor environment without the need for creating multiple cache directories. Additionally, the cache management system and method allows the user to establish selectable thresholds and criteria for each and every physical or logical storage device coupled to the data processing system, thus allowing the criteria to be selected on a process-by-process basis.

The present cache management system and method also takes into account the length of time that a data element has been in cache or the actual time of data access in relationship to a physically adjacent data element stored in cache in order to make a determination as to whether or not a sequential data access is in progress by any given process on a multi-processor multi-tasking system.

The present cache management system and method provides for monitoring and controlling the contents of cache memory which is coupled to at least one host and to at least one data storage device. A time indicator is provided, which outputs a signal including a time indication. The time indication may be in real time or in relative time. A cache indexer maintains a cache index of at least data elements which are stored in cache memory, and responsive to the time indicator, stores a time indication along with each respective data element index maintained in the cache index.

A sequential data access indicator is responsive to the cache index, to a selectable sequential data access threshold provided by the user, and to a comparison of time indication associated with at least first and second sequential data elements, for determining that a number of sequential data elements have been requested which exceeds the sequential data threshold within a predetermined period of time, thus indicating that at least one occurrence of a sequential data access is in progress by a given one process executing on the host, and for providing an indication of that determination.

In response to the indication of a sequential data access in progress provided by the sequential data access indicator, a micro-cache memory is established in the main cache memory for each and every process having a sequential data access in progress. Subsequently, a data retrieval requestor requests retrieval or prefetching from a data storage device coupled to the system, of up to a user selectable predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched.

In one embodiment, the cache management system further includes a cache data replacer, which is responsive to a user supplied selectable predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements which are to be stored in the cache memory for a given process, for replacing or over-writing the least recently used sequential data elements in excess of the predetermined maximum number of elements established by the process parameters set up by the user.

The presently described cache management system also includes a method for monitoring and controlling the contents of cache memory coupled to at least one host and to at least one data storage device. The method includes establishing and maintaining a cache directory including at least an indication of which data elements are currently in the cache memory along with a time indication with each data element indexed in the index. User selectable criteria are established including a sequential data access threshold, for providing a predetermined minimum number of data elements stored in the cache memory indicating the occurrence of a sequential data access in progress by at least one host system if the sequential data elements occur with a predetermined period of time.

After scanning or monitoring the cache directory, and in response to the user selected sequential data access threshold and a time indication comparison between at least first and second detected sequential data elements stored in cache, the method determines that a sequential data access is in progress. In response to a user selectable predetermined number of data elements to be retrieved or prefetched from a data storage device, and to the determination of a sequential data access in progress, the established user selectable predetermined number of data elements are retrieved in response to a retrieval request.

In response to a user selectable predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be stored in cache memory, the method sequentially replaces in the cache data elements which exceed the predetermined maximum number established by the process parameters.

An additional feature of the presently disclosed cache manager is a dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature which provides the cache manager with the ability to monitor and dynamically alter several cache manager parameters for each process having a sequential data access in progress and thus, to monitor the effectiveness of the cache management algorithm controlling each and every sequential process, in an attempt to improve on the algorithms.

The dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the cache manager continuously monitors the cache index/directory once a sequential process has been detected, to determine whether the tracks or data records which have been prefetched have in fact been used by the host system. The dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager will accordingly increase the sequential access detection threshold when unused tracks or records are detected, and decrease the detection threshold in response to a large number or long continuous string of used data records or tracks, thus allowing the sequential detection threshold to "float" at the optimum level for each process.

The dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager also monitors and dynamically adjusts the number of data tracks or records to be prefetched as a function of the number of sequential data tracks or records which have been used. Thus, a large or lengthy sequential process will result in a higher number of prefetched data tracks or records whereas a shorter or smaller sequential process will result in fewer data tracks or records prefetched. Further, as a result of increasing the number of data tracks or records to prefetch, the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager will allow the size of the micro-cache memory "loops" for a given process to increase and decrease in size with a corresponding increase or decrease fluctuation in the number of data tracks or records to prefetch for that process.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the cache management system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a representation of a data storage device cache index/directory table;

FIG. 3 is a more detailed block diagram of the cache manager of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate the operation of the present cache manager;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the method of determining where to insert a data element in cache in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the present cache management system; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The cache management system for monitoring and controlling the contents of cache memory such as in a data storage system is shown in block diagram form in FIG. 1 is implemented using a cache manager 10. An example of a data storage system capable of carrying out the present invention is a Symmetrix Model 5XXX data storage system available from EMC Corporation, Hopkinton, Mass. Cache manager 10 is preferably a virtual entity implemented in software and can be resident in any location including system memory 11, device controllers 20a-20b and host adapters 24a-24b. Additionally, the functionality of cache manager 10 may be distributed over one or more of such locations to better manager the cache memory locations 12 being maintained and utilized for that particular data storage device, in order to optimize system performance. Device controllers 20 and host adapters are well known in the art and include data director boards available from EMC Corporation, Hopkinton, Mass.

Cache manager 10 receives as input, a time indication value from time indicator 13 which is typically and preferably a battery backed-up real time clock chip located on the device controller 20 or host adapter 24 which is implementing the cache manager function.

In the preferred embodiment, each controller 20 and host adapter 24 includes its own clock or time signal generator. Although each clock is unsynchronized, each controller 20 and host adapter 24 places its time clock value in system memory 11. Each controller/host adapter can thus determine if all other controllers are functioning or "alive" by monitoring the time clock-value. The cache manager chooses one of the time clock value as the "system" clock value and will always reference events to that value, thus eliminating the need to "synchronize" the many time signal generators or clocks.

Other time indication signals including a relative time signal, for example, are also considered to be within the scope of this invention.

An exemplary data processing system for use with the present cache manager typically includes one or more devices such as host/channel adapter boards 24a-24n which are adapted to receive data read/write commands and associated data over one or more communication channels from one or more hosts 22a-22n.

The host/channel adapter boards 24a-24n are coupled to cache memory 12 by means of bus 14. Bus 14 is also coupled to one or more data storage device controller/adapter boards 20a-20n which serve to control the reading and writing of data to or from the respective data storage devices 18a-18b. Exemplary controller and host adapter boards are described in Applicants' U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,352 entitled Reconfigurable, Multi-Function Disk Controller, which is incorporated herein by reference.

In one embodiment, data storage devices 18a-18b include disk storage devices, each of which may include one or more disk drives dependent upon the user's requirements and system configuration. Additional embodiments also contemplate various data storage devices including, but not limited to, optical disks, CD ROMS and magnetic tape devices.

In order to improve data processing system performance, a data processing system such as a data storage system incorporating the present cache manager does not wait for device controllers 20a-20n to read or write data directly to or from the appropriate data storage device(s) and the host but rather, data to be written to or read from the data storage device(s) to the host is stored in cache memory 12. The present cache manager is primarily directed to data storage device read requests by a host system, although managing write requests will also benefit by the use of the present cache manager. In the preferred embodiment, cache memory 12 includes high speed semiconductor memory whose data is rapidly accessible to both the device controllers 20 and the host adapters 24.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention also includes an index/directory 16 which serves to provide at least an indication of the data which is stored in the cache memory and provide the address or pointer to the data in cache. The index/directory 16 may also serve other functions including containing the address of data on the data storage device, and data which must be written to disk, and may also include other flag or status bits.

The cache index/directory 16 is comprised of one or more device tables 25a and 25b more particularly shown in FIG. 2 below. In the preferred embodiment, the contents of the cache index/directory 16 is maintained current by cache manager 10 and is located in the system memory 11. An example of a data storage system capable of utilizing the present invention in the Symmetrix 5XXX Series data storage systems available from EMC Corporation, Hopkinton, Mass.

The cache index/directory 16 is preferably organized on a device by device basis with one "table" 25, for each data storage device. Each data storage device table is further organized by device storage elements. For example, for a given data storage device such as a disk drive, a device table 25 includes a device table entry or header 27 which uniquely identified the long term data storage device, followed by cylinder 0 table entry 28, followed by cylinder 0 track information 29. In the preferred embodiment the track information includes cache address, time written in cache indications, and other various flag indicated generally at 29. Cylinders 1 through N follow associated disk drive track information 33 and 35 respectively.

Each of the device, cylinder, and track header entries in the table headers! also include at least a first bit position 31 which if set, indicates that the track one track in the cylinder, and at least one cylinder on the device is stored in cache. Thus, each cache index/directory table forms a "pyramid" or hierarchy of indices beginning with a device entry, followed by a cylinder entry which in turn is followed by one or more track entries. This "pyramid" or hierarchy allows the present cache manager to search and inquire device-by-device and data storage element by data storage element (track in this example) whether any records from the device are stored in cache.

For example, if the device entry does not include its "in cache" bit as "set", then no further search of the table entries for that device are required. If a given cylinder entry does not have its "in cache" bit set, then the present cache manager knows that no tracks on that cylinder are in cache, and no further inquiry is required of that cylinder.

Also included in each of the track entries is at least a second bit position 37 which is reset once the prefetched track (or record) has been used by the host. The usefulness of this bit will be further described below. Such a device by device cache index/directory is also described in detail in Applicants' U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,493 and Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,939, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Also included within at least each track header 29 is a time indicator 39 which preferably indicates in real time, or alternatively relative to some other established time or event, the time at which the track was written to cache, last requested by the host, retrieved from the data storage device or some other predetermined event or action from which time can be measured.

A data processing system such as a data storage system manager incorporating the present cache management system further includes a system manager console 26, FIG. 1. The system manager console 26 allows the user to input the initial default criteria for the cache management system. This allows the user to establish the initial default criteria to optimize the performance of the cache memory by tailoring the cache manager and the cache management system to the particular data storage devices, application programs being executed, or connected host systems.

The cache manager also enables the detection and identification of sequential data streams. The manger 10 receives user supplied input criteria includes at least three elements namely: (A) the minimum number of data elements which must be stored in cache memory with a proper time value and actually used by before the cache management system recognizes a sequential data access in progress; (B) the maximum number of tracks other said or data elements which the cache management system is to prefetch ahead; and (C) the maximum number of sequential data elements to be stored in cache before the memory locations containing the previously used tracks or data elements are reused or recycled and new data written to these location(s).

The three user input criteria required by the cache manager are maintained by the cache manager on each device controller 20 for each data storage device 18 coupled to the controller. Since most processes typically utilize data from only one data storage device, the criteria established for any given data storage device are utilized to control and manage cache for each and every process requesting data from the given data storage device 18.

An example of the above-mentioned initial user input criteria is shown in Table I below for an exemplary device controller I (20a) which controls six disk drives by means of SCSI channels 0 through 5.

                  TABLE I                                                          ______________________________________                                         Device Controller N                                                            ______________________________________                                         1. SCSI Driver Number                                                                               0     1     2   3   4   5                                 2. Prefetch (Cache Management) Enable                                                               Y     Y     Y   Y   Y   Y                                 3. Min Track Seq Threshold                                                                          2     2     2   2   2   2                                 4. Tracks Prefetch Ahead                                                                            2     2     2   2   2   2                                 5. Max Tracks Tail To Cut                                                                           5     5     5   5   5   5                                 ______________________________________                                    

Accordingly, line 2 of the exemplary Table I indicates that prefetching (i.e. cache management) is enabled for all six drives or devices controlled by the device controller. The third line of the Table indicates that each drive has a minimum previously requested physically adjacent track threshold of 2 before a sequential operation is declared.

The use of such parameters and criteria by the cache manager 10 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3 wherein the sequential data access indicator 30 utilizes the minimum sequential data element threshold (A), which for this example is 2, and input from the cache contents index/directory 16 including an indication of what data is in cache, as well as a time comparison implemented by the cache manager software in the preferred embodiment, to provide an indication 32 of a sequential data access in progress. Since application programs or "jobs" typically run entirely on one disk drive or other type of longer term data storage device, the data processing manager or user can selectively determine on a process-by-process basis in a multi-process environment, the threshold criteria to be utilized by establishing the initial default criteria for each data storage device.

In addition to using the minimum sequential track in cache threshold input criteria A, the cache manager utilizes the time indication (39, FIG. 2) associated with each track in cache and stored in the cache index/directory to make a determination 32 that a sequential data access is in progress.

Shown below in Table II are representative entries from cache index/directory 16 illustrating physically adjacent tracks of data on a particular disk drive.

                  TABLE II                                                         ______________________________________                                                 Data                Time   Sequential                                  Line    Element In Cache    Indication                                                                            Indication                                  ______________________________________                                         1       1       Yes         10     No                                          2       2       Yes         11.5   Yes                                         3       3       Yes         12.0   Yes                                         4       N       Yes         10     No                                          5       N + 1   Yes         9      No                                          6       N + 2   Yes         13     No                                          ______________________________________                                    

As shown in line 1 of this Table, the first data element was placed in cache with a time indication of "10:00". Although this example uses relative time, time is preferred and other timing indications are contemplated. The second entry at line 2 (physically adjacent to the first element) was placed in cache, retrieved from a data storage device, and requested by the host or other relevant event or status at time 11.5. Using the system and method of the present invention, a software implemented time comparator 29 of sequential data access indicator 30 compares the two time indications (or more time indications if the user established minimum previously requested sequential track threshold A is greater than two) by subtracting a second time indication (11.5) from a first time indication (10).

If the difference in time indications is less than a pre-established value, an indication signal of sequentiality 32 is issued. Currently, the pre-established value has been empirically determined and is pre-set by the system at two (2) seconds, although other values will undoubtedly prove useful in other situations. Additionally, the present pre-established value is not user selectable although user selectability is considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

At line 3 of Table 2, a third data element with a time indication of 12.0 is shown. By comparing the time indication of data element 3 with that of data element 2, the present system and method determines that a difference of less than 2 (the pre-established value) exists, and a sequential indication is given.

At line 4, data element N is shown with a time indication of 10. Since the minimum previously requested track threshold has not been met, no sequential indication 32 is issued. At line 5, data element N+1 is indicated as in cache with a time indication of 9. When the time indication of element N+1 (9) and data element N (10) are compared, the cache manager finds the data element out of sequence (a negative number) in a multi-processing operation such as when the second element is used first and thus, although prior systems would have issued a sequential data access indication, the present invention can detect that the two physically adjacent data elements were requested randomly, out of sequence and thus, no sequential access indication is issued.

At line 6, data element N+2 with a time indication of 13 is found. By comparing the time indication of data element N+2 (13) with the time indication of data element N+1 (9) comparator 29 detects a proper sequence but a difference of greater than the pre-established difference of 2 seconds and therefore, no sequential indication is issued. Although two data elements are compared above for exemplary purposes, any number can be compared based on the user selectable sequential threshold.

Thus, the system and method of the present invention can detect, in a multi-processing environment, a sequential data access which is taking place by any process which is utilizing the cache memory and which the present cache manager is monitoring.

Upon receiving an indication 32 that a sequential data access is taking place for a given process, data retriever 34 utilizes the second user input criteria (B) that is, the maximum number of tracks to prefetch ahead, to provide a request over line 36 to the appropriate data storage device controller to fetch the next sequential track or other data element for the given process. Since the user knows which processes will be executing on which data storage devices, the initial value of this parameter may be adjusted to maintain a balance between having the proper number of data elements or tracks prefetched versus prefetching too many data elements or tracks. It should be noted that prefetching too many tracks will seriously impact the performance of the data processing system by causing the data storage device controller to spends large amounts of time prefetching data which will not likely be used or will not be used for a long period of time to come and in addition, unused data takes up valuable cache memory space.

Finally, the third parameter (C) is the maximum number of data records to be maintained in cache for this process before the records stored in cache memory for this process are overwritten. Thus, in the present example, Table I indicates that five tracks or data records are maintained in cache before the least recently used (LRU) data element such as a track or data record is replaced or overwritten in the cache.

Accordingly, data replacer 38 which forms part of the cache manager 10 receives the third user input criteria or parameter (C) as well as an indication of cache contents from cache index/directory 16 to provide indication 40 to the data storage device controller to control the reuse or recycling of previously used cache memory locations allocated to the given process, and to reset the in-cache flag or bit associated with the data which is overwritten.

A further illustration useful in describing the present cache manager is shown in conjunction with FIGS. 4A-4C wherein in FIG. 4A, Cache memory 12a is shown in a least recently used (LRU) configuration. In such a configuration, which is well known to those skilled in the art, a predetermined number of main memory locations, which number is controllable by the system manager based upon cache usage, is allocated to cache data elements in a "circular" fashion wherein a first record of data is written to a logical first block of memory 42, and a second data record is written to the second logical block of memory 44.

Writing to cache memory proceeds around the "circular" cache memory in the direction indicated by arrow 46. Once data has been written to the last or "th" memory location 48, the cache management system overwrites or recycles the oldest or least recently used (LRU) memory location 42, and continues to overwrite previously used memory locations in sequence.

Use of the cache memory in such an LRU configuration proceeds until the present cache manager, utilizing the data storage device cache index/directory tables previously disclosed, determines that one or more processes accessing data on any given device has begun a sequential access. When such an indication is provided as shown previously in FIG. 3, the present cache manager establishes micro-cache memory configurations such as 50a and 50b shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, one such micro-cache for each sequential access in progress. The memory locations for such micro-cache memory configurations are reserved for use by a particular process from the total number of memory locations available to the main cache memory 12a.

The present cache manager reserves memory locations from the main LRU by reserving for its own exclusive use, one or more LRU cache memory pointers which in essence, prevents the LRU from controlling the cache memory locations pointed to by the pointers and now associated with a particular micro-cache memory configuration. Once the present cache manager determines that a micro-cache memory configuration is no longer necessary for a given particular process, the cache manager will return the memory locations to the main LRU by relinquishing or returning control of the pointers to the main LRU algorithm.

When the cache manager reserves such memory locations for use by one or more specific processes, the LRU algorithm utilized to manage the main cache memory 12a will utilize the memory location shown at 52, and subsequently skip those memory locations 50b reserved by the cache manager, and then utilize the next available memory locations 54 and 56, before again skipping the next reserved memory locations 50a to utilize the next available memory location 58.

The "size" or number of memory locations allocated to each sequential process is determined by the third criteria or parameter utilized by the cache manager of the present invention namely, the number of blocks to allocate to the process. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4B, micro-cache memory configuration 50a includes five memory locations in this example, presuming that the third criteria was set or defaulted to five.

After detecting a sequential data access in progress by a given process and reserving a micro-cache memory configuration for the process, the cache manager begins by prefetching from a data storage device, one-by-one, a number of data records or tracks as indicated by the second user input "B" criteria (i.e., the number of tracks or records to prefetch). Thus, the first prefetched record or track will be stored in memory location "A" within the micro-cache memory configuration 50a, while the second prefetched data track or record will be stored at memory location "B". When the host system has requested and read the data at memory location "A", the present cache manager will then prefetch another data record to be stored in memory location "C".

After the host uses the data in memory location "B", the cache manager will prefetch an additional data record and store it in memory location "D". Thus, as is now apparent, with the second user input criteria "B" that is, the number of data elements to prefetch set at 2, the cache manager of the present invention will continuously keep two prefetched data records ahead of the last record used or read by the host system. Once memory location "E" has been filled with a data record, the cache manager will then overwrite or reuse the first previously used memory location "A". Thus, the process will continue to utilize the micro-cache memory configuration 50a reserved for this process.

It is important to note that the present cache manager continues to monitor data use by each and every given process in a multi-processing environment and when an end of a sequential data access by a process is detected due to non-use, by the host, of a data record stored in cache or the lapse of time which exceeds that set by the sequential access indicator, the cache manager will return all of the reserved memory locations of a given micro-cache memory configuration to the main cache memory. Once a sequential operation has been detected, the cache manager, independent of the main cache management control method (whether it be an LRU control method or otherwise), controls the micro-cache memory for any sequential data access taking place by any given process without interference or intervention from the main cache control method.

An additional feature of the cache manager is the ability of the cache manager to monitor each process for which a micro-cache memory configuration has been reserved, and thus to monitor the effectiveness of the cache management control method controlling each and every sequential process, in an attempt to improve on the method.

Thus, the present cache manager is adapted to dynamically change or alter the user specified or default values of the first and second input criteria namely, the sequential access detection threshold, and the number of data tracks or records to prefetch. The third criteria or parameter namely, the size of the micro-cache memory to establish for each process, is not directly dynamically altered but instead, expands or contracts according to the number of tracks or records to prefetch, as will be explained in greater detail below.

Accordingly, the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager continuously monitors the cache index/directory once a sequential process has been detected to determine whether the tracks or data records which have been prefetched in anticipation of use by a given process, have in fact been used as anticipated. Since the cache index/directory includes a flag or bit for each data record which is reset once the data record is read or used, the cache manager can easily detect unused but prefetched data records.

Thus, when the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager detects any unused tracks or records which were prefetched, the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the cache manager increases the sequential access detection threshold by one. Therefore, a previously set detection threshold of two would be increased to three. If additional unused prefetched data is again detected, indicating that the process may occasionally use three sequential data tracks or records but then not utilize the fourth or fifth sequential record, than the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature will again increase the sequential access detection threshold by one to four. Thus, as long as the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature detects unused tracks, the detection threshold will be increased.

Once the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager detects a large number or long continuous string of unused data records or tracks, the detection threshold is decreased by one each cycle of the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature, until used tracks are again detected, thus causing the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature to again begin increasing the sequential detection threshold. Accordingly, the sequential detection threshold "floats" at the optimum level for any given process. The dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager is activated or invoked by the present cache manager based upon a threshold of the number of tracks per device which have been prefetched. For example, one implementation of the present invention contemplates invoking the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature after fifty tracks per device have been prefetched.

The dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager also monitors and dynamically adjusts the second criteria or parameter namely, the number of data tracks or records to be prefetched. Adjustment of the number of records to prefetch criteria is a function of the formula:

    Y=log 2X

wherein

Y=the number of data tracks or records to prefetch and

X=the number of previously used sequential tracks or data records.

Thus, as shown in Table III below, an initial default value of 2 data tracks or records to prefetch is not increased until 8 sequential data tracks or records have been prefetched and used. The upper boundary for the number of data tracks or records to prefetch is generally considered to be in the range of ten data tracks or records.

                  TABLE III                                                        ______________________________________                                         Records Used  Records to Prefetch                                              ______________________________________                                         4             2                                                                8             3                                                                16            4                                                                32            5                                                                64            6                                                                128           7                                                                256           8                                                                512           9                                                                1,024         10                                                               ______________________________________                                    

A result of increasing the number of data tracks or records to prefetch is that the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the cache manager of the present invention will allow the size of the micro-cache memory configuration for a given process to fluctuate in size with a corresponding fluctuation in number of data tracks or records to prefetch. Thus, as shown by micro-cache memory configuration 50aa, FIG. 4C, when the process which was previously utilizing micro-cache memory configuration 50a, FIG. 4B has its number of data tracks or records to prefetch criteria increased by one, one additional memory location "F" is added to the "loop" to allow for this increased in number of data records. Thus, although the third criteria is not altered, the size of the micro-cache memory configuration servicing any given process is allowed to increase with a corresponding increase in number of data or tracks to prefetch, and to decrease, down to the minimum initial default number specified for the device, with subsequent decreases in number of data tracks or records to prefetch.

A method for monitoring and controlling the contents of cache memory 12 utilizing the cache manager 16 is also disclosed. The method includes requesting data by at least one host 22 coupled to the data storage system step 100, FIG. 5 followed by determination by the host adapter 24 of whether the requested data is in cache 12, step 102. If the requested data is in cache memory 12, the host reads the data from cache, step 104.

If, at step 102, a determination is made that the data is not in cache, the host controller 24 instructs a device controller 18 to retrieve the requested data from a coupled data storage device 18. The retrieved data is stored in cache memory 12, step 106 and the cache contents index directory 16 is updated, step 108.

Continuously and generally concurrently with the host requesting data from one or more data storage devices, the present cache manager inquire of a first data storage device 18, step 110, FIG. 6, and verifies that cache management has been enabled for the particular data storage device, step 112. One or more process specific micro-caches are established for this device, step 114. Three parameters are next retrieved by the cache manager, namely (1) the sequential access threshold; (2) the maximum number of data elements to be prefetched; and (3) the maximum number of sequential data elements to be maintained in cache for this particular process, step 116.

After the in cache 31 and used flags 37 of the cache index/directory 16 for the given data storage device 18 being monitored are scanned, and cache index time stamp read, utilizing the time stamp the sequential data access indicator 30 determines whether or not a sequential data access is in progress, step 118.

If a sequential data access is not in progress by any given process on the device being presently monitored, another data storage device is monitored.

If, at step 118, the sequential data access indicator 30 indicates that a sequential data access is in progress by at least one process accessing the data storage device, the cache management method of the present invention proceeds to step 120 to retrieve, one data element or track at a time, up to the predetermined maximum number of data elements or tracks to be prefetched as established by the second user supplied criteria.

A further feature of the present invention is the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the cache manager 10 of the present invention as previously described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart which illustrates the two parallel and generally simultaneous dynamic monitoring and adjustment procedures 150, 152 undertaken by this feature of the present invention if the cache manager 10 is enabled for at least one data storage device coupled to the system.

As shown in the dynamic monitoring and adjustment procedure 150, the method of dynamically monitoring and adjusting the cache management parameters includes sequentially monitoring the cache index/directory 16 data used flags 37 for each data storage device to detect any unused data tracks or records, step 154. If no flags 37 are detected, the dynamic monitoring and adjustment procedure decreases the sequential access detection threshold (the first parameter A), step 156, and returns the program to monitor for any unused data records for the next data storage device. If, however, the program detects any used data flags 37 at step 154, the program continues to step 158 wherein the sequential access detection threshold (the first parameter A) is increased by one, with the procedure returning to monitor the current device cache index/directory 16 for any additional unused data tracks or records.

Generally simultaneously with and in parallel with the monitoring procedure described above, the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the cache manager 10 also executes the procedure indicated generally by 152 which includes monitoring the cache index/directory 16 for any change in the total number of used sequential data tracks or records which were prefetched by any given process executing on the device, step 160. If no change in the total number of used records or tracks is detected, no adjustments to the cache manager criteria are made.

If, however, a change in the total number of tracks or records is detected at step 160, the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager 10 proceeds to either steps 162 in the case of an increase in the total number of data tracks or records used, or to step 164 in the case of a decrease in the total number of data tracks or records used.

In the case of an increase in the total number of data tracks or records used, the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager 10 determines at step 162 if the increase in the total number of data tracks or records used has reached the next threshold as previously described in conjunction with Table I. If the increase has reached the next threshold, processing continues to step 166, wherein the second criteria of the cache manager namely, the number of data tracks or records to prefetch is increased by one. In addition, the third criteria (C) namely, the number of data records or tracks to maintain in the micro-cache "loop" for the given process is also increased by one with processing returning to step 160 to detect any change in the total number of data tracks or records used.

If a decrease in the total number of data tracks or records used is detected at step 160, the dynamic monitoring and adjustment feature of the present cache manager 10 determines at step 164 if the total number of data tracks or records has decreased to the next threshold and if so, processing continues to step 168 wherein the number of data tracks or records to prefetch (the second criteria B) of the cache manager is decreased by one. Also at this step in the procedure, the actual number of memory locations in the processes micro-cache memory "loop" will also be decreased by one if it currently exceeds the predetermined number of memory locations established by the user as the third criteria or parameter. Subsequently, processing returns to step 160 to monitor and detect any change in total number of unused data tracks or records.

Accordingly, the system and method of the present invention provide a reliable, accurate and low overhead cache management system including a sequential access indicator which is based not only on merely the number of data elements or tracks which are requested by a given host or process but also on the relative time between a given event or status of two physically adjacent data elements or tracks stored in cache memory.

Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention which is not to be limited except by the claims which follow. For example, hardware elements may be substituted for software elements as is well known in the art. In addition, this invention can be practiced on any electronic data processing system utilizing shorter term memory commonly called "cache memory" and preferably including longer term data storage such as a disk drive, tape drive, optical disk, etc. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cache management system including a cache manager, for monitoring and controlling contents of cache memory, said cache management system comprising:a timer for providing a time indication; a cache indexer, responsive to said time indication, for maintaining a cache index of data elements which are stored in said cache memory, said cache index of data elements including a time indication associated with each data element indexed in said cache index by said cache indexer; and a sequential data access indicator, responsive to detection of a plurality of sequential data elements stored in said cache memory, to a user selectable sequential data access indicator threshold value, and to a comparison of time indication associated with at least first and second sequential data elements of said plurality of detected sequential data elements, for providing an indication that at least one process is effecting a sequential data access.
 2. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said cache indexer maintains a cache index of data elements which are retrieved from at least one data storage device and stored in said cache memory.
 3. The cache management system of claim 2, wherein said time indication associated with each element indexed in said cache index includes a time of retrieval of an associated data element from said data storage device.
 4. The cache management system of claim 1, further including:at least one host and at least one data storage device: a data retrieval requestor, responsive to said indication that at least one process executing on said at least one host is effecting a sequential data access and to a user selectable value of a predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched, for requesting retrieval from said at least one data storage device of up to a number of data elements equal to the value of said user selectable predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched; and a cache data replacer, responsive to a user selectable value of a predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be stored in said cache memory for use by said at least one process effecting a sequential data access, and to said data retrieval requestor requesting retrieval of a data element, for requesting replacement of at least one recently used sequential data element stored in said cache memory.
 5. The cache management system of claim 4, wherein said system includes a plurality of coupled data storage devices; andwherein said cache indexer maintains only one cache index.
 6. The cache management system of claim 5, wherein said one cache index is organized on a data storage device by data storage device basis.
 7. The cache management system of claim 4, wherein said selectable sequential data access indicator threshold value and the value of said selectable predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched are user selectable for each data storage device coupled to the cache management system.
 8. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said cache indexer maintains a cache index for each data storage device coupled to said cache management system.
 9. The cache management system of claim 4, wherein each of said data elements retrieved from said at least one data storage device include an individual data record.
 10. The cache management of claim 5, wherein each of said data elements retrieved from said at least one data storage device include all data records stored in one data storage unit of said data storage device; andwherein said cache indexer maintains a current index of said plurality of data storage devices stored in said cache memory.
 11. The cache management system of claim 10, wherein said at least one of said plurality of data storage devices includes a disk drive.
 12. The cache management system of claim 11, wherein said at least one of said plurality of said data storage devices includes a disk drive track.
 13. The cache management system of claim 11, wherein said at least one of said plurality of said data storage devices includes a disk drive cylinder.
 14. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of said plurality of data storage devices includes at least one optical disk.
 15. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said cache memory includes a high-speed semiconductor memory.
 16. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said cache management system further includes at least one data storage device controller including said cache manager.
 17. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said cache management system further includes at least one host adapter including said cache manager.
 18. The cache management system of claim 4, wherein said cache management system includes one system wide cache memory; andwherein said cache management system establishes and maintains at least one micro-cache memory having a predetermined number of memory locations for use by said at least one process effecting a sequential data access, said predetermined number of memory locations corresponding to said user selectable value of a predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be stored in said cache memory.
 19. The cache management system of claim 18, wherein said data retrieval requestor requests storage of said prefetched data elements in said at least one micro-cache memory; andwherein said cache data replacer requests replacement of the least recently used sequential data element stored in said at least one micro-cache memory.
 20. The cache management system of claim 18, wherein said cache management system includes a plurality of processes effecting a sequential data access; andwherein said cache management system establishes and maintains one micro-cache memory for each of said plurality of processes effecting a sequential data access.
 21. The cache management system of claim 18, wherein said at least one micro-cache memory is established and maintained for exclusive use by only said at least one process during the effecting of a sequential data access.
 22. The cache management system of claim 21, wherein said cache management system returns the predetermined number of memory locations of said at least one micro-cache memory to, and for use by, said system wide cache memory upon an indication of the termination of a sequential data access in effect by said at least one process, said indication of the termination of a sequential data access provided by said sequential data access indicator upon detection of non-sequential data elements requested by said at least one process.
 23. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said sequential data access indicator provides an indication of the termination of a sequential data access in effect by said at least one process upon detection of non-sequential data elements requested by said at least one process and stored in said cache memory.
 24. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said cache index further includes an associated data-used bit having set and reset conditions, said reset condition providing an indication that said associated data element has been retrieved from said at least one data storage device, stored in said cache memory, and used by said at least one process effecting a sequential data access.
 25. The cache management system of claim 24 wherein each data-used bit is set upon the associated data element being stored in said cache memory.
 26. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said time indication includes a real time indication.
 27. The cache management system of claim 1, wherein said time indication includes a relative time indication.
 28. The cache management system of claim 24 wherein each data-used bit is reset upon an associated data element being used by said at least one process effecting a sequential data access.
 29. The cache management system of claim 24 wherein said sequential data access indicator provides an indication that said at least one process executing on said at least one host is effecting a sequential data access upon detecting a plurality of sequential data elements used by said at least one process in response to said reset condition of said data-used bit associated with said plurality of used data elements.
 30. The cache management system of claim 4, wherein said cache management system further includes a dynamic cache management system adjuster, responsive to said indication that at least one process executing on said at least one host is effecting a sequential data access, for dynamically adjusting the values of said user selectable sequential data access indicator threshold and said user selectable predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched.
 31. The cache management system of claim 30 wherein said dynamic cache management system adjuster increases the value of said user selectable sequential data access indicator threshold in response to a detection of unused data elements retrieved from said at least one data storage device and stored in said cache memory; andwherein said dynamic cache management system adjuster decreases the value of said user selectable sequential data access indicator threshold in response to an indication of no unused data elements retrieved from said at least one data storage device and stored in said cache memory.
 32. The cache management system of claim 30 wherein said dynamic cache management system adjuster dynamically increases the value of said user selectable predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched in response to an increasing number of retrieved, stored and used data elements; andwherein said dynamic cache management system adjuster decreases the value of said user selectable predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched in response to a decreasing number of retrieved, stored and used data elements.
 33. A cache management system including a cache manager, for monitoring and controlling contents of cache memory coupled to at least one host and to at least one data storage device, said cache management system comprising:a time indicator, for providing a signal including a time indication; a cache indicator, for providing a signal including a time indication; a cache indexer, for maintaining a cache index of data elements which are stored on said at least one data storage system, said cache index of data elements including a time indication associated with each data element index in said cache index by said cache indexer; a data retrieval requestor, responsive to said indication that at least one process executing on said at least one host is effecting a sequential data access and to a user selectable value of a predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched, for requesting retrieval from said at least one data storage device of up to a number of data elements equal to the value of said user selectable predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched; and a cache data replacer, responsive to a user selectable value of a predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be stored in said cache memory for use by said at least one process effecting a sequential data access, and to said data retrieval requestor requesting retrieval of a data element, for requesting replacement of a least recently used sequential data element stored in said cache memory in excess of the value of said predetermined maximum number to be stored for use by said at least one process upon each retrieval of a data element in excess of said predetermined maximum number currently stored in said cache memory for use by said at least one process; and a sequential data access indicator, responsive to detection of a plurality of sequential data elements retrieved from said at least one data storage device and stored in said cache memory, and to a user selectable sequential data access indicator threshold value, and to a comparison of time indications associated with at least first and second sequential data elements of said plurality of detected sequential data elements, for providing an indication that at least one process executing on said at least one host is effecting a sequential data access; and a dynamic cache management system adjuster, responsive to said indication that at least one process executing on said at least one host is effecting a sequential data access, for dynamically adjusting at least the values of said user selectable sequential data access indicator threshold and said user selectable predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched.
 34. A cache management method, for monitoring and controlling contents of cache memory coupled to at least one host and to at least one data storage device, said cache management method comprising:establishing and maintaining in said cache memory, a current index of at least the contents of said cache memory, said index including at least a time indication associated with each data element indexed and contained in said cache memory; establishing an alterable, sequential data access indicator threshold value, for providing a predetermined minimum number of data elements stored in said cache memory indicating an occurrence of a sequential data access in progress by at least one process executing on said at least one host; reading said current index of the contents of said cache memory including said time indication associated with each data element indexed and contained in said cache memory; determining that at least one sequential data access is in progress by said at least one process in response to: reading said current index of the contents of said cache memory; to said time indication associated with each data element indexed and contained in said cache memory; and to said sequential data access indicator threshold value; establishing a first alterable value corresponding to a predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched from said at least one data storage device; requesting retrieval and storage in said cache memory of a number of data elements equal to said alterable established value in response to the determination of a sequential data access in progress; establishing a second alterable value corresponding to a predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be concurrently stored in said cache memory; and requesting replacement of at least one least recently used sequential data element stored in said cache memory in excess of said predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be previously stored in said cache memory for used by said at least one process in response to said established second alterable value of predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be stored in said cache memory.
 35. The method of claim 34, further including before the step of requesting replacement of at least one least recently used data element, the step of:establishing a second alterable value corresponding to said predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be concurrently stored in said cache memory; and requesting replacement of at least one least recently used sequential data element stored in said cache memory or equal to predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be concurrently stored in said cache memory.
 36. The method of claim 35, further including after the step of determining that at least one sequential data access is in progress, the step of:establishing and maintaining at least one micro-cache memory having a predetermined number of memory locations for use by said at least one process determined to be effecting a sequential data access, said predetermined number of memory locations corresponding to said second alterable value of a predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be stored in said cache memory.
 37. The method of claim 36, wherein said step of requesting retrieval and storage requests storage of said data elements in said at least one micro-cache memory; andwherein said step of requesting replacement requests replacement of the least recently used sequential data element stored in said at least one micro-cache memory.
 38. The method of claim 36, wherein said method of establishing and maintaining at least one micro-cache memory establishes and maintains one micro-cache memory for each of a plurality of processes executing on said at least one host system and effecting at sequential data access.
 39. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of establishing and maintaining at least one micro-cache memory establishes and maintains said at least one micro-cache memory for exclusive use by only said at least one process during the effecting of a sequential data access.
 40. The method of claim 39, further including after the step, of requesting replacement, the step of:returning the predetermined number of memory locations of said at least one micro-cache memory to, and for use by, a system wide cache memory upon an indication of the termination of a sequential data access in progress by said at least one process, said indication of the termination of a sequential data access provided by said step of determining that at least one sequential data access is in progress.
 41. The method of claim 34, further including after the step of requesting replacement, the step of:dynamically monitoring and adjusting the cache management method, said step of dynamically monitoring and adjusting comprising the steps of:dynamically adjusting at least the values of said data access indicator threshold value and said first alterable value corresponding to a predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched.
 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of dynamically monitoring and adjusting the cache management system further includes the steps of:increasing the value of said sequential data access indicator threshold in response to detecting unused data elements retrieved from said at least one data storage device and stored in said cache memory; and decreasing the value of said sequential data access indicator threshold in response to detecting no unused data elements retrieved from said at least one data storage device and stored in said cache memory.
 43. The method of claim 41 wherein, said step of dynamically monitoring and adjusting further includes the steps of:increasing the value of said predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched in response to an increasing number of retrieved, stored and used data elements; and decreasing the value of said predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched in response to a decreasing number of retrieved, stored and used data elements.
 44. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of establishing said alterable sequential data access indicator threshold value includes the step of user selecting and establishing said alterable sequential data access indicator threshold value.
 45. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of establishing said first alterable value corresponding to a predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched from said at least one data storage device includes the step of user selecting and establishing said alterable value corresponding to a predetermined number of data elements to be prefetched from said at least one data storage device.
 46. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of establishing a second alterable value corresponding to a predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be concurrently stored in said cache memory includes the step of user selecting and establishing said second alterable value corresponding to a predetermined maximum number of sequential data elements to be stored in said cache memory. 